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Legend
- Start Indoors
- Transplant
- Start Outdoors
- Care
- Harvest
- Succession Plant
Widely used in the Middle East (especially Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, where it is native) to flavor meats and breads, it is a wonderfully heady, richly scented and 'spicy' seasoning that combines the flavors of Marjoram, Oregano, and Thyme. Easy to grow on deer-resistant plants in poor to average soil, it makes a nice perimeter planting for the herb garden.
A member of the Origanum family, Zaatar Marjoram is actually closer in flavor to a mild Thyme than to the Sweet Marjoram with which we are familiar in this country. It is commonly used to season grilled mutton, and is also added to breads.
Zaatar is easy to grow and reaches about 3 feet high and wide, topped with flowerspikes that are also used (along with the leaves) in seasoning. It blooms in late spring to early summer, and actually prefers poor to only moderately fertile soil, preferably alkaline (lime-based). It also does well in containers -- just give it plenty of sunshine, very little if any fertilizer, and it's on its way in no time!
Hardy in zones 8-10, but grown as an annual everywhere else..
In Israel, the za'atar plant is a protected species, and at certain times of year Israel does not allow people to harvest it, for fear it will become extinct.
This plant that Israel seeks to preserve can be traced all the way back to the Bible, where it is call eizov (often translated as hyssop, though biblical hyssop was something different from the plant that today we call hyssop). In the Bible, eizov has many uses, probably due to its antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties,
Lamiaceae Origanum majorana
This is an example of the timeline you would see based on your growing conditions.
Damping Off
This fungus disease can be the bane of the inexperienced seed starter and comes in several guises. The best known type of Damping Off first manifests itself as a fuzzy whitish mold on the surface of the soil and then goes on to girdle the succulent stems of newly germinated plants. These develop shrunken black stems and eventually fall over and die, though the stem may remain upright for a while afterward. This type of Damping Off mainly affects very small seedlings and becomes is less of a problem as they get older and their stems get tougher. Other kinds of Damping Off kill the seed before it germinates, or rot the roots, causing the tops to turn yellow and die. Almost all soil contains the spores of Damping Off so commercial growers often avoid soil in their mixes, or sterilize it with heat or chemicals. Fortunately such techniques aren’t really necessary for the home grower. The best defense against Damping Off is to avoid giving it the growing conditions it needs. It shouldn’t be a big problem if you take the precautions outlined below. You may lose a few plants occasionally, but so what. Damping Off is mostly a disease of indoor seed raising. Growing your seedlings in a well ventilated, cool greenhouse will produce far fewer problems with Damping Off. However, if your climate dictates that you start your seedlings inside then you have a potential problem. Damping Off fungi need high humidity, so thin your seedlings promptly to prevent overcrowding, avoid overwatering (especially on cool sunless days when water doesn’t evaporate quickly) and make sure there is good ventilation and air circulation. Sulfur powder, or a tea of Seaweed, Garlic or Chamomile has been used to treat small areas of infection and prevent it spreading. Covering the seeds with compost or Sphagnum Moss (instead of sowing mix) may also help.
Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org
Last Frost Date (LFD) refers to the approximate date of the last killing frost of spring.
Example first frost date on April 08.
First Frost Date (FFD) refers to the approximate date of the first killing frost of winter.
Example first frost date on November 01.
